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Photographic 


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Science 
Corpomtion 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTEl.N.Y.  14580 

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o^ 


CIHM/JCMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 

1980 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m^thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


7 


Coloured  cc  ;ers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


Q    Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagee 

nCov 
Cou 


D 


□ 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
verture  restaurde  et/ou  pellicul6e 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 


□    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serree  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int^rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout6es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmdes. 


D 

D 
D 


D 
D 

n 
n 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagees 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaur^es  et/ou  pellicul^es 


r~7l    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 


Pages  d6color^es,  tachetdes  ou  piquees 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  detachees 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  in^gale  de  i'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  film^es  d  nouveau  de  fapon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


D 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires: 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  helow/ 

Ce  document  est  film^  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqud  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


12X 


16X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Douglas  Library 
Queen's  University 


L'exemplaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grSce  d  la 
g6n6rosit6  de: 

Douglas  Library 
Queen's  University 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  Ail 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetd  de  l'exemplaire  filmd,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimis  sont  film6s  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmds  en  commenqant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —^(meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning   "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbolo  -^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmis  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diff6rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  fiimd  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droito, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nicessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

I 


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A    LETTEE 


ON    THE 


Diracefiil  Riot  Ib  lie  Catliolic  Cliircl  ii  Prescotl, 


?, 


I 


ON 


SUNDAY,  Sept,  8th  1867.     - 

WITH  1  REVIEW  OF  THE  PUBLIC  CMEER 


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OF     THE 


KEY.  E.  P.  ROCHE,  P.  P.  OF  PRBSKOTT,  $ 


BY 


J.  GRAY,  Student  at  Law,  Prescott,  Ontario. 


>-^'^ 


/      r  OGDENSBUllGH,  N.  Y. 

^  1867   .-^ 


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rwifflft^fl  ■f?';-'.'M 


The  EDITH  and  LORNE  PIERCE 
COLLECTION  ^/CANADIANA 


^ccns  University  at  Kingston 


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A   LETTER 


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ON    THE 


DispceM  Eiot  ii  the  Catlolic  Gliir cl  ii  Prescott, 


ON 


I 

T 


SUNDAY,  Sept,  8th  1867. 


WITH  A  REVIEW  OF  THE  PUBLIC  UMBER 


OF    THE 


REY.  E.  P.  ftOGHE,  P.  P.  OF  PMSKOTT, 


BY 


J.  GRAY,  Student  at  Law,  Prescott,  Ontario. 


->  ♦  <- 


OGDENSBURGH,  N.  Y. 
1867 


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OODENSBURGH,  N.Y.,  Oct.  Itt,  1867. 
SuxDAT,  the  eight  day  of  September,  1867,  will  long  be  remem- 
bered by  the  inhabitants  of  Prescott,  and  especially  the  Catholics 
of  this  town,  as  one  on  which  one  of  the  most  disgraceful,  scandal- 
ous, may  we  add  sacrilegious,  riots,  wluch  ever  desecrated  the  house 
of  God,  occured  in  the  lloman  Catholic  Church  in  Prescott.  We 
purpose  herein  to  review  the  cause  of  so  unusual  an  occurrence 
we  purpose  to  give  an  expos^  of  the  reasons  which  influenced  the* 
congregation ;  we  purpose  to  narrate  without  fear,  favour  or  malice, 
the  wrongs  of  the  Catholics  of  this  Mission,  and  explain  the  almost 
universal,  yet  just  indignation,  of  the  Catholics  of  Prescott  against 
their  pastor. 

In  so  doing  we  assure  our  readers  in  advance,  that  we  admit  and 
respect  the  principle,  that  private  character  is  something  which  every 
gentleman  should  consider  sacred,  and  especially  one  who  is  the  de- 
positary of  man's  imperfections  \  When  a  man,  however,  assumes  a 
public  position,  his  acts  are  liable  to  enlightened  public  criticism  ;  but 
defamation  of  private  character  is  always  the  criterion  of  a  blackguard 
and  a  coward. 

In  our  personal  references  we  will  confine  ourselves  to  the  public 
acts  and  dictions  of  him  whom  we  consider  as  immediately  respon- 
sible for  the  lamentable  scene  which  we  will  attempt  to  portray. 
Possibly  in  so  doing  we  may,  figuratively  speaking,  be  obliged  to  place 
the  culprit  in  the  Triangles.  We  may  be  forced  to  let  the  Cats  des- 
cend on  his  blistering  back  ;  we  may  deem  it  judicious  to  order  a 
ahower  bath  to  cool  and  subject  his  torrid  cranium ;  we  may  prescribe 
a  dark  cell  wherein  to  compose  his  wandering  and  excited  imagi- 
nation wherein  by  calm  reflection  and  free  from  public  indignation 
he  may  feel  the  odour  of  his  nasty  public  dictions,  and  cry  out  in  the 
sincerity  of  a  truly  contrite  heMt,  "peccavi,  peccavi,  miserere  me  Do- 
mine  ;"  but  once  more  we  reiterate  our  assurance  that  we  write  with 
no  sentiments  of  hatred  or  ill  will,  but  with  feelings  of  deep  sympa- 
thy and  condolence ;  we  write  in  obedience  to  public  opinion  which 
demands  such  an  exposition  of  this  defamer  of  private  character ;  we 
write  and  strike  only  on  the  defensive,  and  whilst  we  have  a  free 
press  we  will  not  hesitate  to  wield  our  quill  in  defence  of  public  good 
and  private  character.  And  we  feel  assured  in  this  instance  by 
bringing  Father  Roche  before  the  bar  of  public  opinion,  by  exposing 
his  public  career  to  the  gaze  of  an  indignant  public,  we  will  teach  a 
salutary  lesson  to  others  of  his  stamp,  and  convince  the  venerable 
Bishop  of  this  Diocese  that  Prescott  has  too  long  been  saddled 
with  a  Pastor  most  objectionable  to  his  hearers  and  whose  usefulness 
has  long  since  ceased  ;  who  has  called  the  most  exemplary  of  our 
ladies  sluts  and  swine ;  who  has  assailed  the  most  honorable  of  our 
fellow  townsmen  with  Five  Point  ephithets,  and  dubbed  infant 
babes  as  hratSy  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  house  of  God,  by 
one  who  has  attacked  nearly  every  Catholic  Family  in  Prescott  and 


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its  environs,  and  wlio  ever  forgotfiil  of  tho  noble  injunction  of  the 
lloman  Uard,  ''Nil  nisi  bonuin  de  Mortals."  has  assailed  tlio  dead 
bones  of  our  venerable  departed  and  held  thorn  up  to  tbo  scorn  of  an 
indignant  congregation  in  the  presence  of  weeping  frioiuls  and  re- 
lation?; and  on  one  occasion  in  ]  articular,  assuming  the  very  attributes 
of  the  Divinity,  bo  told  one  of  the  most  exemplary  Catholic  families  in 
Canada  that  the  soul  of  their  dead  brother  was  bin-ning  in  Purgatory 
for  their  sins.  "Judge  not  lest  ye  be  judged,"  will  bo  the  only 
comment  we  will  make  on  so  unparalled  an  utterance.  To  our  many 
Catholic  frionds  wo  would  say,  that  no  person  could  entertain  more 
respect  for  the  sacred  dignity  of  a  Priest,  no  j)erson  be  more  sensible 
of  the  reverence  due  to  one  than  the  writer;  but  this  respect,  this 
reverence,  should  never  dwindle  into  a  superstitious  awe  for  the  indi- 
vidual who  so  far  forgets  his  sacred  vocation,  as  to  violate  everything 
tiiat  is  dignified  in  chivalrous  humanity,  as  to  outrage  every  fine  sen- 
timent of  the  human  breast,  and  crucify  as  it  were  the  most  delicate 
passions  and  affections  of  the  human  heart,  and  we  remind  our  readers 
that  "  from  him  to  whom  much  is  given  much  shall  be  required,"'and 
consequently  the  more  sacred  the  character  the  more  sacred  should  be 
the  example ;  and  when  the  latter  becomes  revolting  the  more  re.s- 
})onsible  must  be  the  culprit.  Judas  Iscariot  was  one  of  the  ch  o.sen 
of  Christ,  yet  the  Saviour  of  mankind  told  him  it  wore  better  for 
liiin  he  were  never  born  !  ! 

To  enter  on  our  task.  Father  Roche  has  now  officiated  as  P.  P.  in 
Prescott  some  twenty-three  years;  he  has  presided  over  one  of  the  most 
wealthy,  intelligent  and  respectable  congregations  in  Upper  Canada, 
who  not  only  supplied  all  his  pecuniary  necessities,  but  bestowed  on 
him  large  sums  of  money,  which  he  has  invested  in  mortgages  and 
other  securities  in  the  Province.  lie  is  a  curly  head,  good  look- 
ing, dressy,  dashy  individual ;  sports  a  black  thorn,  seldom  or  never 
wears  his  sutan  in  public,  and  patronizes  horse  races,  theatres,  cir- 
cuses, nigger  shows,  &c.  A  stranger  would  take  him  more  for  a 
Jockey  than  a  Clergyman  ;  as  a  scholar  he  is  very  superficial,  lie  is 
well  adapted  to  play  the  i>art  of  a  demagogue  among  an  extreme 
ignorant  communitij ;  but  intelligence  easily  penetrates  his  shallow- 
ness ;  his  sermons  are  very  high  falutin  and  windy,  contains  very 
little  substance,  and  after  an  effort  of  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  seven- 
eights  of  his  hearers  would  know  very  little  of  what  he  had  been 
talking  about.  With  this  brief  sketch  of  the  notorious  individual  in 
question,  we  will  now  come  to  the  immediate  subject  of  our  letter. 
We  accuse  Father  Roche  of  having  attacked  or  insulted  almost  every 
Catholic  family  in  Prescott.  We  accuse  him  of  having  assailed  the 
dead  bones  of  our  venerable  departed,  and  we  will  now  lance  the 
ulcer  of  his  public  career  and  place  its  disgusting  core  before  an 
indignant  public  gaze  ;  we  will  rehearse  some  of  his  base  attacks  on 
private  character,  which  will  explain,  justify  and  account  for  the  al- 
most universal  abhorence  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  hearers,  and  show 
why,  after  so  long  a  career,  which  should  have  endeared  him  to  his 


\ 


\ 


5 


cir- 


'congrogation,  a  rospoctful  though  firm  demand  is  about  being  niavle 
for  his  ronioviil. 

The  Moi'i\u3,  tlie  Swocnoys,  iho  Carbcrys,  tho  Whites,  the  Moonoys, 
the  Murphys,  tho  MoCreas,  tho  lUicklys,  tho  McGannons,  tho  Scotts, 
the  Messrs.  Savage,  Kavanagh,  Koilty,  (^'Sullivan,  Cowan,  McGruory 
Dissett,  Portri'i,  and  many  young  hidios  whose  names  we  forbear  to 
vnont  on  ;  Tather  McKay,  tlie  vcni'rable  sisters  of  Notre  Datno  at 
Ogdeusburg,  tlio  Hon.  John  S.  MeDoiiahi,  among  Catliolies  are 
some  of  tho  families  and  persons  whom  ho  has  more  or  less  shame- 
fully aliusod  in  his  Church  from  tho  altir,  platform  or  the  pulpit. 
During  tho  hours  of  divino  sorvieo  ho  has  stigmatizo  1  his  congrega- 
tion in  the  proscnco  of  strangers  as  a  fdthy  set;  within  tho  same  sa- 
cred precincts  he  has  called  two  pf  the  most  exemplary  young  ladies 
in  Hrescott  DIUTY  sluts,  another  a  filthy  swink  !  Would  you  not  be 
justitiod,  Mr.  T.  'I'racy,  if  you  have  a  tpark  of  noble  feeling  in  your 
breast,  if  you  have  :i  courageous  soul  hositate  no  longei  to  horsewhip 
in  the  pul)lic  streets  the  base  defamor  of  your  esteemed  sisters,  cr 
retain  Mr.  Fraser  or  Richards  to  bring  him  before  a  judge  and  jury 
where  his  deserts  may  be  meeted  out  to  him.  Mr.  .1.  Buekly  will 
you  hesitate  any  longer  to  apply  a  green  beach  to  the  back  of  the  man 
who  caluinni.  ted  your  venerable  father  whilst  living  and  cast  reflec- 
tions on  his  cherished  memory  when  doad?  Let  no  vaguo  terrors  deter 
cither  of  you  from  a  task  which  filial  aifeetion  must  stimulate  you  to 
perforin  !  Mr.  Moran,  vour  sister,  mother,  brother  'ive  been  shame- 
fully viUfitd  ivh'ilst  living,  one  cf  them  judged  og  Father  Roche 
whilst  dead  ;  what  course  will  you  purs  "o  ?  To  many  other  families 
wo  might  likewise  appeal ;  the  fond  mother  whose  in/a  it  babe  he 
branded  as  brat  in  the  church,  we  mi<;ht  invoke  to  castigate  the  slan- 
derer of  her  offspring  ;  of  Father  McKaij,  w  horn  he  called  a  miserable 
mendicant,  we  might  ask  to  demand  ai\  apology.  To  the  venerable 
sisters  of  Notre  Dame  we  might  sugg'  jt  their  right  and  duty  to  de- 
mand a  retraction  of  the  slanders  poured  out  against  them  :  but  the 
public  is  cognizant  of  these  and  many  other  outrages  of  which  Father 
lloche  has  been  guilty,  and  we  stay  here  for  the  present  and  come 
to  the  more  immediate  subject  of  our  letter — th^  riot  in  the  church 
— remarking,  en  2)assard,  that  during  the  long  career  of  defamation 
of  private  character  which  the  Catholics  of  Prescott  submitted  to 
from  Father  lloche,  they  endeavored  by  all  possible  means  to  cul- 
tivate friendly  relations  with  him  and  often  gratified  many  of  his 
whims  much  against  their  inclinations. 

During  the  late  elections,  certainly  through  no  personal  motives, 
but  through  sincere  political  convictions,  the  Catholics  of  Prescott 
allied  themselves  with  the  reform  party.  We  say  without  personal 
motives,  for  no  more  estimable  gentlemen  than  tho  conservative  can- 
candidates,  Messrs.  Shanly  &  Clarke,  could  be  found.  This  alliance 
caused  Father  Roche's  ire  and  he  endeavored  by  violent  harangues  in 
his  church  to  induce  his  congregation  to  renounce  the  principles  they 
ospoused.     His  hearers  became  gradually  more  and  more  disgusted 


.wlaaMdMllMiiMi 


ii^thiii.ii    I'M^ 


6 


\rith  his  conduct  and  especially  recognized  the  insincerity  of  his  asser- 
tions "  that  the  interest  of  the  Catholics  of  this  section  were  more 
secure  in  the  hands  of  Macneil  Clarke  than  in  those  of  his  estimable 
Catholic  opponent  John  McCarthy."  The  Sunday  previous  to  the 
riot  Father  Itoche  threatened  his  hearers  with  an  electioneer  harangue 
in  favour  of  Messrs.  Shanly  and  Clarke,  when  the  great  majority  of 
them  stood  up  and  walked  out  of  the  church.  At  the  nomination 
he,  in  our  opinion,  almost  originated  a  riot,  and  we  trust  the  scathing 
repartie  of  Mr.  C.  F.  Frascr,  that  leading  and  sound  exponent 
of  Catholic  opinion  will  prove  useful  to  his  reverence.  During 
the  entire  election  Father  Roche  might  be  seen  forgetful  of  his 
Sacred  character,  descending  into  the  political  cock  pit,  making  an 
electioneer  drummer  of  himself,  driving  from  one  end  of  the  riding 
to  the  other,  imploring  his  co-religionists  for  God  sake  to  vote 
for  Messrs.  Shanly  and  Clarke !  On  the  Sunday  in  question 
tne  people  hoped  that,  as  his  arabitioii  was  realized,  his  appetite  for 
personal  abuse  would  be  satiated.  But  ere  divine  service  was  over, 
shielding  himself  under  the  protection  of  his  vestments,  he  poured 
out  a  volley  of  abuse  at  the  congregation  in  general,  and  then  veered 
around  to  his  disgusting  personalities.  The  writer  hereof  was  the  first 
victim  aimed  at,  and  whilst  the  foolish  diatribes  of  abuse  were  confi- 
ned to  himself  he  treated  them  with  silent  contempt.  Irritated 
possibly  at  the  indifference  of  the  writer  to  his  foolish  remarks,  he 
began  to  tresspass  on  more  dangerous  grounds ;  he  began  to  hold  up 
the  dying  renjains  of  the  writer's  aiflicted  brother  for  the  scorn  of  his 
hearers,  outraging  every  generous  impulse  of  his  weeping  mother, 
breaking  the  very  spring  of  everything  that  was  dear  and  beloved  in 
Jier  breast ;  agonizing  every  cord  in  her  heart  by  so  mean,  so  despi- 
cable, so  cowardly  an  allusion  to  her  dying  son.  The  writer's  brother 
.  was  a  young  gentleman  who  had  completed  his  collegiate  course  ;  he 
was  universally  esteemed  bj  all  his  acquaintances  and  respected  for 
his  talents  and  character  ;  he  entered  the  Jesuit  novitiate,  prepara- 
tory to  making  a  profession  of  a  religious  life,  when,  by  an  accident 
which  dislocated  his  spine,  he  was  forever  prostrated  both  physically 
and  mentally,  and  he  was  placed  in  the  Provincial  Asylum  for  treat- 
ment under  the  fostering  care  of  Dr.  Workman.  It  was  this  dying 
remnant  of  afflicted  mortality  with  whom  there  was  so  general  a 
sympathy  that  Father  Roche  was  beastily  enough  to  allude  to,  when 
the  writer  advanced  up  the  aisle  of  the  church  and  respectfully  re- 
marked, "Father  Roche  I  must  protest  against  so  vile  an  attack  on 
*'  mjr  dear,  dying  brother;  attack  me  if  you  can,  but  if  you  dare  asperse 
*'  his  memory  I  shall  vindicate  his  character."  Enraged  at  this  request 
Father  Roche  shouted  "  put  the  boy  out."  Put  me  out !  rejoined 
the  writer,  there  is  not  one  in  the  church  who  would  do  so.  I  res- 
pect your  sacred  diguity  as  a  Priest  and  the  sacred  place  we  are  in, 
but  you  force  me  to  appeal  to  this  congregation  to  say  whether  you 
have  not  scandalized  them  by  your  conduct  and  disgraced  the  posi- 
tion you  should  honour.  You  have  insulted  and  abused  nearly  every 
Catholic  family  in  Prescott,  and  I  appeal  to  this  congregation  to  shew 


asscr- 

more 
imable 
to  the 

angue 
ity  of 
nation 
jathing 
ponent 
During 

of  his 
£ing  an 

riding 
to  vote 
juestion 
tito  for 
as  over, 

poured 
1  veered 

the  first 
re  confi- 
Irritated 
arks,  he 

0  hold  up 
orn  of  his 
;  mother, 
)eloved  in 
30  despi- 
's  brother 
ourse ;  he 
ected  for 

prepara- 
i  accident 
physically 

1  for  treat- 
this  dying 

general  a 
e  to,  when 
ctfuUy  re- 
attack  on 
iare  asperse 
this  request 
t!  rejoined 
so.     I  res- 
}  we  are  in, 
hether  you 
[d  the  posi- 
icarly  every 
tion  to  shew 


their  universal  abhorence  for  your  career  in  Prescott  by  standing  up 
and  leaving  the  church.  Father  Roche  in  a  tremulous  voice  conti« 
nued — "is  there  a  man  to  pot  him  out  ?  "  Not  one  !  Is  there  a 
soldier  to  put  him  out  ?  There  was  too  much  chivalry  in  their 
hearts  to  obey  the  coward's  appeal.  Lt.  Donnevan  said  he  would 
have  marched  the  troops  out  had  he  been  present.  An  old  simple 
man  now  approached  the  writer,  when  a  general  uprising  of  the 
congregation  surrounded  him.  Great  excitement  began  to  bo  ma- 
nifested. Some  one  thousand  men,  women  and  children,  were  faint- 
ing, weeping,  screaming  and  jumping  out  of  the  windows  ;  one  wo- 
man exclaimed,  "let  us  leave  the  church  and  let  Father  Kochc  talk 
to  the  four  walls."     Father  Roche,  like  the  Ishmalite,  had  am 

HANDS  KAI8ED  AGAINST  EVERY  MAN  AND  EVERY  MAN's  HAND  WAS  RAI- 
SED AGAINST  HIM  ! 

"  The  tyrant  now 
Trusts  not  to  man  ;  nightly  within  his  chamber 
The  Blood  Houruls  guard  his  couch,  the  only  friends. 
He  now  dare  trust." 
He  assured  his  hearers  that  he  was  ca!m  and  composed ;  the  igno- 
miny of  his  position,  no  doubt,  began  to  make   him  sensible  of  the 
disgust  in  which  he  was  held.     J^ot  a  friend,  not  an  assistant  to  obey 
his  orders f  except  old  Martin  Band  his  hired  man,  whom  he  almost 
pounded  to  death  last  winter.     The  latter,  we  believe,   drew  the 
blood  of  one  of  the  congregation,  when  he  was  collared  by  some   of 
the  crowd  and  pitched  out  of  the  church.     For   thi;*  sacrilege  we 
leave  the  public  to  judge  who  is  re'jponsible ;  one  thousand  witnesses 
will  endorse  the  strict  accuracy  of  our  statements  !  1     It  beggars  all 
description  to  portray  a  large  congregation  d4{ij)^he  sacred  hours 
of  Divine  service  in  so  irresistible  a  jX)3ition,  but  from  recitals  above 
made  an  impartial  public  will  conclude  that  this   was  a   time  when 
patience  cease  to  be  a  virtue,  when  indignation  against  a  monstrous 
career  could  not  be  restrained,  and  the  writer,  as  well  as  the  con- 
gregation, cannot  in  reality  be  responsible  for  any  imperfections  in 
their  conduct,  as  the  cup  of  their  indignation  was  over-flown,  and  the 
natural  was  the  law  which  governed  their  action.     The  writer,   ac- 
companied by  his  mother,  quietly  left  the  church  when  Father  Roche 
hypocritically  remarked,  "oh  how   I   sympathize  with  that  boy's 
mother's  feelings !''     The  congregation  left  the  church ;   Prescott 
was  scandalized  by  Father  Roche's  conduct ;  groups  of  people   were 
seen  all  day  in  the  street  discussing  the  event.     In  justification  of 
our  conduct  we  may  state  that  we  have  been  personally  waited  on 
by  almost  every  Catholic  in  Prescott  and  received  an  expression  of 
thanks  and  approbation  for  the  course  we  adopted. 

In  conclusion  we  beg  to  remind  Father  Roche  th{tt  he  is  the  last 
man  who  should  make  an  unfavorable  allusion  to  any  person's  bro- 
ther. The  dying  scenes  in  a  New  Orleans of  a  certain  indi- 
vidual ought  to  make  him  very  cautious  and  delicate  on  such  a  sub- 
ject. (We  do  not  allude  to  the  elder  brother  of  F.  R.  kikown  in 
Tipperary  as  "Ti^er  Boehe.'') 


f 


8 

In  juatice  to  ourselves  we  must  add  a  few  remarks  to  this  letter. 
Father  Itoche  speaks  a  good  deal  about  the  writer's  had  English, 
and  disturbed  intellec't.  If  we  remoniher  riglitly  Father  Roclie  was 
told  some  twelve  years  ago,  through  thecolumus  of  the  press,  by  an  M. 
P.  P.,  that  a  hemp  jacket  was  his  best  protector;  and  that  his  pro- 
ductions were  not  worthy  of  an  inftnt  in  his  teens.  In  our  o|)inion 
h(j  always  makes  a  blunderbus  of  himself  when  ho  appears  in  the 
press,  and  any  urchin  at  Karabie's  school  liousc  might  laugh  at  his 
coni)»03ition.  We  thirk  both  he  and  the  public  will  understa'id 
our  English  in  this  letter,  bad  as  it  may  appear  ;  and  the  public  we 
tliink  will  award  us  a  sounder  intellect  than  that  of  our  traducer. 

As  regards  the  assertions  in  the  Argus, —  that  a  plan  was  formed 
to  get  up  a  riot  in  the  church  on  the  Sunday  in  question,  that  the 
writer  ever  attacked  Father  b'ocho  in  the  press  or  the  streets,  that 
the  writer's  brother  was  not  alludeii  to  on  the  tfunday  in  question, 
that  the  writer  was  expelled  from  the  church  on  refusing  to  leave, 
— we  brand  the  writtr  in  the  Argus  as  a  liar,  a  sneak  and  a  coward. 
We  challenge  him  if  he  dare  to  come  forth  and  unmask  himself,  wo 
brand  each  and  every  of  his  assertions  as  a  wilfu'  lie,  and  can  only 
think  ihey  we  circulated  in  order  to  try  and  allay  the  indignation 
against  Father  Roche  wl  ich  is  spreading  on  all  sides.  This  edition 
of  the  Argus  was  not  circulated  in  I'rescott  where  its  false  contents 
were  known.  As  regards  the  references  of  the  Argus  to  Father 
Roche's  IdyuUy:  to  the  knowledge  of  the  writer  he  coarsely  abused  at 
one  time  the  boys  on  his  altar  for  stopjung  from  school  to  go  to  the 
procession  on  Her  Majesty's  birth  day,  and  forbad  them  to  do  so ; 
and  when  all  the  British  Enii)ire  was  weeping  at  the  untimely  ieath 
of  the  lamented  Prince  Consort,  he  held  him  up  before  his  congre- 
getion  as  a  monster  who  was  judged  before  his  God  ! !  When  the 
cabbage  garden  rrbel,  Smith  O'Brien,  came  to  Prescott,  he  gave  him 
a  public  reception,  and  if  we  mistake  not  kissed  his  hand  and  said 
he  honoured  hiir.  for  the  love  he  bore  to  his  country.  We  trust  in 
the  future,  during  Father  Roche's  stay  among  us,  no  decent  lady  or 
gentlemi.n  who  reveres  loyalty  !  the  sacredness  of  private  character  ! 
will  be  seen  walking  on  the  same  side  of  the  street  with  hitn.  Let 
him  continue  to  sneak  through  the  back  streets  and  only  show  him- 
self like  the  owls  when  the  dei>d  of  night  may  shield  him  from  public 
recognition,  ami  may  he !  Pious  Anchorite,  always  continue  to  have 
Baltimore  bivalors  and  salt  water  salmon  to  help  him  through  the 
penetential  fast  days.  We  have  orily  fired  a  little  pepper  and  salt 
in  this  letter,  No.  1.  We  hope  we  will  not  be  obliged  to  appear 
again,  for  then  wo  will  be  forced  to  discharge  our  grape  and  eannis- 
ter.  With  the  exception  of  an  Ottawa  correspondence,  it  is  our 
first  appearauce  in  press.  We  have  only  now  appeared  at  the  most 
pressing  solicitations  of  many  friends  and  we  think  we  have  only 
discharged  a  public  duty  in  so  doing.  In  conclusion  we  will  rehearse 
to  the  liev.  Father  Roche  what  my  Lord  Bishop  Farrell  had  ooca- 
sion  to  tell  him,  "Go,  sir,  and  learn  how  to  behave  yourself." 

JOHN  GRAY. 


"-'^ItHiiiinfciflMiiWBTIII  tiji 


letter. 
ngVish, 
he  was 

an  M. 
13  pro- 
jpiniou 

in  the 

at   hi* 
orsta'id 
blic   we 
ucer. 
,  ronneil 
hat   the 
ts,   that 
luestion;, 
o  leave, 
coward . 
nself,  wo 
:a.n  only 
lio-nation 
13  edition 

contents 
0  Father 
abuse  d  at 
go  to  the 

0  do  so ; 
lely  leatU 
5  congre- 
A'hen  the 
?  gave  him 

and  said 
e  trust  in 
3nt lady  or 
character  I 
him.     Let 
show  him- 
from  public 
me  to  have 
irough  the 
ir   and   salt 

to  appear 
and  cannis- 
;,  it  is  our 
at  the  most 

have  only 
.vill  rehearse 

1  had  occa- 

rself." 
[  GRAY. 


